Transcript

1.
WELCOME
Pandemic Flu - Preparing
Your Business
A one-day workshop held at the Royal Society of Medicine • Thursday 11 September 2008
Pandemic influenza
Dr Quentin Sandifer
Deputy Regional Director of Public Health, NHS South East Coast and Honorary
Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Kent
Dr James Sedgwick
Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, Kent Health Protection Unit and
Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Kent
September 2008
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2.
Aims of the workshop
To raise awareness of the threat and consequences of an
influenza pandemic and to highlight the associated major
issues for business
Pandemic influenza
Session 1
Dr James Sedgwick
Consultant in Communicable Disease Control
Kent Health Protection Unit
Honorary Senior Lecturer
University of Kent
September 2008
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7.
Understanding pandemic flu
Epidemic
• serious outbreak in a single community, population or
region
Pandemic
• worldwide epidemic
Flu pandemics are worldwide epidemics of a newly
emerged strain of flu
• which passes easily from person to person
and
• to which few, if any, people have immunity
Iowa State gymnasium, converted into hospital, 1918 flu pandemic
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8.
What will a flu pandemic mean for UK?
Pandemics occur unpredictably, not necessarily in winter
Great variations in
• mortality,
• severity of illness and
• pattern of illness or age of most severely affected
Rapid surge in number of cases over brief period of time
(weeks)
Tend to occur in waves – subsequent waves may be more
or less severe (“weeks or months later”)
Intense pressure on health (and other) services
Disruption to many aspects of daily life
Avian flu – what is it?
Contagious disease caused by flu A viruses
Can affect all bird species esp migratory wildfowl (eg, ducks)
Particularly devastating among domestic poultry (high bird death rate)
Spreads through droplet inhalation or contact with droppings
• migratory wildfowl
• live bird markets
Virus can survive for prolonged periods in the environment
People usually infected through close contact with live infected birds
Transmission from birds to people rare
Transmission from person to person extremely rare
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Public health interventions
Personal interventions
Basic measures to reduce the spread of infection
• Hand washing: washing hands frequently with soap and water
reduces the spread of the virus from the hands to the face, or to
others
• Respiratory hygiene: covering the mouth and nose when coughing or
sneezing; using a tissue when possible; disposing of dirty tissue
promptly are carefully – bag and bin
• Avoiding non essential travel: non-attendance at large gatherings
such as concerts, theatres, cinemas, sports arenas etc
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Public health interventions
Population-wide interventions
• Travel restrictions
• Restrictions of mass public gatherings
• Schools’ closures
• Voluntary home isolation of cases
• Voluntary quarantine of contacts of known cases
• ?? Screening of people entering UK ports
Antiviral drugs –
for treatment of cases
Likely to be only major medical countermeasure available early in a
pandemic
Used in the absence of, or as an adjunct to vaccination
UK has stockpile of 14.6 million treatment courses
Reproduced with permission from Roche Products Ltd. Tamiflu ®
Some limited use as prophylaxis, if expert advice suggests appropriate
Prioritisation only when becomes scarce
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Vaccine
• No vaccine ready to protect against pandemic flu (new virus)
• Specific vaccine cannot be made until the virus has been identified
• Cannot be predicted in same way as seasonal flu
• Seasonal flu vaccine will not provide protection
• Advance work is being done to facilitate production of a pandemic
vaccine once the virus is known
• Four to six months to develop, possibly longer
• Plus more than 12 months for enough for UK population to be
manufactured
• When available, aim to immunise whole population as soon as
possible
• Vaccines will be given to some groups before others according to
nationally agreed priorities
• H5N1 vaccine may be used for HCWs (3.5 million doses purchased)
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SARS in Toronto
251 cases and 43 deaths verified
Building resilience in today’s business
Focus of sessions - Business Impact and Response
Impacts - Economic and Staff
Response - Planning to stay in business
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Business Continuity Management
Planning to ensure that your organisation has a relatively
quick and painless return to “business as usual” in the event
of a major disruption, regardless of the cause.
Why?
• To protect your business by planning to stay in business
• To protect your most important assets - your people
• To protect the reputation of your business
• To protect and enhance your profitability
• To ensure compliance and secure recognition for your
business
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Principles of BCM
1. One basic plan
2. Focus on the response to the incident not its cause
3. Response arrangements must be fully integrated into the organisation’s
structure - build-ons not add-ons
4. Activities of different organisational units must be integrated
5. Your plans should be co-ordinated with the plans of others
Pandemic flu planning should be an extension of your business
continuity plans
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Demand effects across industries
Assumed declines in demand by industry during a severe
flu pandemic
Source: Trust for America's Health
Cumulative 3 month loss in
Industry/Government demand over course of a year
agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 10%
mining 10%
utilities 0%
construction 10%
manufacturing 10%
wholesale trade 10%
retail trade 10%
transportation and warehousing 67%
information 0%
financial services 10%
real estate, rental and leasing 0%
professional and technical services 0%
corporate management 0%
administrative services 0%
educational services 10%
health and social care -15%
arts and entertainment, including sports
and leisure 80%
hotel and food services 80%
other services, except government 5%
government services 0%
Why staff will be absent
• They are ill with flu
• They need to care for people who are ill
• They need to care for (well) children
• They have non-flu medical problems
• They have been advised to work from home
• They absent themselves for other reasons
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Estimates of absenteeism
Communication is everything!
• Agree the message
• Decide how you will communicate the message
• Decide how you invite staff
• Agree who will speak and make sure they are well briefed
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Business continuity management
Key issues
• Risk assessment and business impact assessment
• Immediate response and what takes priority
• Duration of disruption
• Support to staff
• Storage and security of data
• Alternative sites of working, including home working
• Dealing with external agencies
LUNCH
Pandemic Flu - Preparing
Your Business
A one-day workshop held at the Royal Society of Medicine • Thursday 11 September 2008
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Section one
Questions
1. What plans are in place within your organisation to deal with pandemic flu?
a. Who is responsible for pandemic flu (and/or business continuity) planning?
b. If no specific plans are in place, what other plans or policies do you have?
c. What planning guidance are you aware of in your business sector?
2. Would any existing plans be activated at this point?
a. If not now, when?
3. What communications will be issued to staff at this point and how will this be done?
4. What would you advise your staff about international (and other) travel?
a. Where could you get advice about this?
Other questions and/or issues to take away
5. What are the critical activities for your organisation?
6. Do your suppliers/subcontractors have robust business continuity plans?
7. What are the Local Resilience Forum’s plans for responding to a pandemic?
Section two
Questions
1. What infection control procedures will be implemented in your workplace?
2. What arrangements have been made with regard to personal protective
equipment?
3. What changes to working arrangements will be made to reduce the risk of
transmission within the workplace?
Other questions and/or issues to take away
1. What occupational health arrangements are in place for your staff?
a. What is the occupational health / sick leave policy during a flu pandemic?
2. How will your staff who are ill get access to antivirals?
3. What communications will be issued to staff at this point and how will this be
done?
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Section three
Questions
1. What will your organisation do about staff shortages?
a. Do all areas of your organisation have nominated deputies for key
employees in case of absence?
b. Where would your organisation look for additional resources?
c. What actions could you take to maximise staff resources?
d. What steps could be taken to accommodate employees who have
difficulties with childcare or sick family members?
e. How does your organisation monitor staff absence?
f. What is the legal position regarding staff who refuse to work?
2. How will disruption in utility services (transport, fuel, power, water,
etc) effect your organisation?
3. What actions can you take to minimise this disruption?
Other questions and/or issues to take away
4. How will staff shortages specifically affect the critical services in your
organisation?
Section four
Questions
1. What are the priority areas for your organisation in terms
of a return to normal business?
2. What actions would your organisation need to take to:
1. Return to normal business?
2. Prepare for a second wave?
3. What arrangements are in place to deal with staff health
and welfare issues following a pandemic?
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Conclusion
• Exercise debrief
• Lessons learned/identified
- List three things that you are going to do when you return
to your organisation in order to prepare for a flu pandemic.
• Wrap up Q&A
THANK YOU!
Pandemic Flu - Preparing
Your Business
A one-day workshop held at the Royal Society of Medicine • Thursday 11 September 2008
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